Camp Hazbin
by RosabelleDeLune
Summary: High School/Summer Camp AU, female 2nd person POV. Summer is starting, and your class are headed to a week of summer camp! When a mysterious but shy blue-haired demon named Aster turns up to join your class, how well will they fit in with everyone else? Especially when the future of their entire high school life depends on how well this week goes...
1. Day 1

**This is a sequel to my previous Hazbin High School fanfic, Love Letters, but you can read this one on its own too!**

**Credit to anic917_eng on Twitter, she is the original creator of 2P Alastor; Aster is based on 2P Alastor, so make sure to support the original artist/creator of our favourite blueberry!**

**A few warnings before we begin; this fic depicts Cherri and Loona as bitchy mean girls because the story needed a couple of them. Also, please be aware there is transphobic bullying in the story.**

**If you're ok with this, then please enjoy!**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The entire class cheered wildly as the school bus entered the campground. Summer camp was one of the best weeks of the entire year for the students of Hazbin High School, and this year, it was your class' turn. Only one class in the entire school was selected to go each year, based on factors like behaviour and academic performance. You could hardly believe your ears when Mr Pentious announced that your class had been selected this time.

"It's just too bad Alastor isn't here," Niffty sighed sadly, hauling her small suitcase out of the luggage hold. "I was really looking forward to spending a whole week with him."

"Maybe he's ill?" you suggested as the two of you followed your class group toward the cabins.

"I don't know... he seemed fine on the last day of school. It just isn't like him."

Alastor and Niffty had been dating since February, when your school held its annual Valentine Dance. She was a very devoted girlfriend, always fussing over him and making him lunch nearly every day, as if they were married. In return, he would surprise her with little kisses on the cheek when she least expected it. Everybody agreed it was a very sweet relationship.

At the same time, you and Husk became a couple, and while you didn't share the same level of popularity as Niffty and Alastor, you and Husk were very happy for your relationship to be outside the spotlight. It took him a while to get used to the idea of having a girlfriend, but now that a few months had passed, he was becoming a very kind and thoughtful boyfriend. He even brought flowers for you on the last day of school. Admittedly, half of them had already wilted and turned brown, but it was the thought that counted.

As you and Niffty made your way to Cabin B, where your class was staying, a familiar car in the parking lot caught your eye.

"Hey, look at that," you said. "Isn't that Alastor's mom's car?"

Your question was immediately answered when Alastor stepped out of the car, followed by a blue-haired demon who was the spitting image of him. You exchanged glances with Niffty, the same thoughts running through your minds.

"I didn't know Alastor had a twin," said Niffty.

"Me neither. They're even wearing matching outfits, just in different colors," you added. It was almost surreal to look at.

"Hurry along, girls!" Mr Pentious called. "We're all meeting in the lounge for an introductory briefing before dinner."

You and Niffty decided you would ask Alastor about his twin later, and trotted along into Cabin B to join the rest of your class. Most of your classmates were already chatting amongst themselves, some calmly playing board games, some having heated pillow fights with the sofa cushions.

"That is enough!" Mr Pentious bellowed to the pillow fighters. Silence fell upon the room. Having gained the attention of the class, he took this opportunity to begin the introductory briefing and cleared his throat. "Hello, everyone, and welcome to summer camp!" he announced, now much more cheerful. "We're going to have a very fun week here, but first of all, we have a few rules that everybody needs to follow."

Half the class groaned, but Mr Pentious paid no attention and carried on.

"First," your teacher continued, "you must remember that while you are here, you are representing Hazbin High School. There are classes from other schools here, so please set a good example." His gaze was fixed upon the rogue pillow fighters. "Second, you are allowed to wander the camp grounds outside of activity times, but you must be back here in Cabin B by 9pm, and I expect everyone to be in bed by 10pm."

"That's not fair!" Loona protested. "My dad lets me go to bed any time I want."

Mr Pentious simply smirked. "Well, I'm not your father, am I?"

She was silent, a frustrated blush forming on her cheeks, glaring at the teacher. She knew she had been beaten.

He continued speaking to the class. "I'd like everybody to form a circle. We're going to start with a simple activity."

Everybody arranged themselves cross-legged in a circle on the floor, including Mr Pentious - well, as a snake demon, he was more coiled up than cross-legged. You found yourself seated between Niffty and Cherri.

"We're all going to say our names," your teacher explained, "followed by an adjective that begins with the same letter as your name."

"That's so stupid," Cherri muttered. "We're in the same class. We already know each other."

Unfortunately for her, Mr Pentious heard. "Is there a problem, Cherri?"

She shrugged, but said nothing more.

"Very well. Allow me to start; my name is Mr Pentious, and I'm passionate." He gestured to the person sitting on his left to continue.

"My name is Angel, and I'm awesome."

"My name is Charlie, and I'm cool."

"My name is Moxxie, and I'm marvellous."

This went on in a similar fashion all around the circle, until it was Alastor's turn.

"My name is Alastor, and I'm astounding," he declared. He turned to his blue-haired lookalike sitting next to him, who was staring at the ground, fidgeting nervously.

Everybody waited. Silence.

"Why don't you start by telling us your name?" Mr Pentious encouraged.

"Um..." came a tiny squeak from the unknown demon. "I'm... Aster..."

Another silence. Aster blushed scarlet and buried their head in Alastor's shoulder. The next person in the circle decided to continue.

"My name is Blitzo - the 'o' is silent - and I'm brilliant."

This carried on until everybody had introduced themselves.

"Very good!" said Mr Pentious, smiling at the class. "Now that we're all acquainted, you may have some time to get to know each other before dinner. If anybody needs me, I'll be in the cafeteria assisting with meal preparation. And lastly-" He gestured toward a notice board on the wall. "-don't forget to check which bedroom you'll be staying in."

There was an immediate scramble to the notice board, everybody desperate to know if they were sharing a bedroom with their closest friends.

You peered over a shoulder and caught a glimpse of the list of names. The bedrooms were four per room and gender segregated, which resulted in you sharing a room with Niffty, Charlie and Vaggie. Aster was assigned to the same bedroom as their brother, so the siblings could be together.

"Looks like you're also sharing with Angel Dust," said Niffty to Alastor with a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"Don't remind me," he responded, clearly irritated.

Husk peered at the notice board and scowled. "Me too. Shit." He turned to Aster. "Hope you don't mind sharing a room with a sex addict. He'll probably keep us all awake jerking off or something."

Aster blushed, casting a shy glance at the spider demon lounging on the sofa. "Angel doesn't seem that bad to me... I like him."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, pal," came a voice from behind you. It turned out the voice belonged to Cherri Bomb, who had overheard your conversation. "Angel ain't interested in chicks, if you get what I mean."

"Oh, I'm not..." Aster trailed off, lowering their head.

There was a snigger from Loona, who was standing behind Cherri. "He's obviously not a girl, Cherri. Just a really feminine boy."

"Oh? Maybe he'll get along with Angel after all."

Aster was silent, looking to their big brother for help with pleading eyes. Thankfully, he noticed.

"Aster prefers not to be referred to as male or female," Alastor chimed in.

Cherri and Loona exchanged amused glances before spluttering with laughter.

"The fuck are we supposed to call you then?" said Loona through giggles. "'It'?"

Alastor narrowed his eyes, becoming more irritated by the second. His voice became dangerously low. "You will refer to my sibling as 'they', or by name. Not 'it'. Do you understand?"

You glanced at Aster, who was beginning to tremble, hands balled up into fists. Their hair was covering their face, so you couldn't be certain, but you could've sworn they were trying not to cry.

Cherri waved her hand dismissively and turned to walk away. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, Loona."

The two of them strutted out of the room in search of something more interesting to do. A small sniffling sound came from Aster; there was no doubt in your mind they were crying. Alastor pulled his sibling close for a comforting hug, and they immediately began sobbing softly into the shoulder of their brother's red coat, clinging to him as if they couldn't bear to let go.

"Shh, it's ok," Alastor soothed, running his hand through Aster's hair.

"I'm sorry," Aster mumbled shakily.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong."

Niffty nudged you gently. "Maybe we should leave them alone," she whispered to you and Husk.

You both nodded in agreement, and the three of you quietly crept away to a corner of the room to play a board game until Mr Pentious called your class for dinner. This week could definitely go either way.


	2. Day 2

At breakfast the next morning, you and your roommates sat at a table with Alastor, Aster, and their roommates.

"For the last time, I do not snore!" Husk insisted.

You and Niffty giggled at the thought. Husk totally seemed like the sort of person to snore. Loudly.

"It's no biggie," said Angel, swirling his cereal around the bowl with a spoon. "There's worse things that could happen in your sleep. I woke up with a boner this morning and nobody cared about that."

Vaggie almost choked on her breakfast. "That's way too much information!"

You and Niffty screeched with laughter, clinging to each other to stop yourselves falling out of your seats. This fit of giggles attracted the attention of Mr Pentious.

"You'd better save your energy for today's activity, girls," he instructed. "We're going on a scavenger hunt this afternoon."

The class was led out into the nearby woods at around noon, carrying your lunches in your backpacks, and plenty of water to drink. Your lunch consisted of an apple, a small bar of chocolate, and cheese sandwiches you had made yourself; a simple meal, but you knew you'd be ravenous by lunchtime with all this woodland trekking, and even a floppy sandwich would taste like food of the gods.

Finally, you reached the woodland meeting point, and you were able to sit down on a nearby rock to rest.

"Is it lunchtime yet?" Husk huffed, gulping down his bottle of water.

"Not yet," said Mr Pentious. "I shall now announce the teams for the scavenger hunt."

"Wait, so we don't get to pick our teams?" Cherri complained.

"I'm afraid not. I have selected your teams for you, to encourage new bonds of friendship to form between you all." He pulled a list from his pocket and began to read aloud. "Team 1 will consist of Blitzo, Charlie, Millie and Alastor."

Aster went pale, realising they were being separated from their brother.

"Um... excuse me... Mr Pentious?" they squeaked. "C-Can I be on Alastor's team?"

Mr Pentious shook his head. "I think it would benefit you to spend some time with other people. It will give you a chance to make some new friends and build your confidence."

Aster clearly didn't see it that way, but reluctantly accepted, staring longingly at their brother. Alastor gave a smile of encouragement in return.

The teacher continued announcing the teams. "Team 2 will be Moxxie, Vaggie, Cherri and Angel."

Cherri and Angel exchanged high-fives, extremely pleased to be on the same team.

"That means those of you remaining, you are Team 3."

You, Husk, Niffty, Aster, and Loona gathered together.

"We've got one more person than every other team," Husk pointed out. "That could be an advantage."

Loona scoffed. "More like a handicap."

It was clear who Loona was referring to. The game hadn't even begun and Aster already looked like they wanted to break down and cry. They kept glancing at Alastor, who was mingling with his team.

"It's ok, Aster." Niffty placed a gentle hand on their arm. "We're friends now. That means we'll look out for you."

Aster managed a wobbly smile. "Th-Thank you..."

"There are seven things you must find," Mr Pentious explained. "Each team will be given a list and a camera. You don't need to collect the objects, a photograph will suffice. The first team to tick every item off their list will be declared the winners."

Millie's excited hand shot into the air. "Will there be a prize?"

"Yes, there will be a prize!" Mr Pentious confirmed with a smile.

Loona rolled her eyes. "It's probably something shitty, like a lollipop."

"I like lollipops," said Niffty. You nodded in agreement.

Mr Pentious handed a scavenger list, a pencil, and a digital camera to each team. "Remember, there is no area boundary or time limit, but you must stick together in your teams at all times. You may begin..." He checked his wristwatch. "...now!"

All three teams scattered in a different direction. Aster watched forlornly, ears drooping as their brother wandered into the forest and out of sight.

"Come on, crybaby," Loona hissed, dragging them along by the arm.

Niffty looked at the scavenger list as your team made your way down a dusty dirt path. "Ok everyone, we need to find a yellow flower, a leaf that isn't green, a flying insect, wild berries, animal footprints, a cloud with an interesting shape, and two pebbles that look the same."

Loona suddenly stomped on the ground, startling everyone. "There's your animal footprint," she said smugly, gesturing to her paw print in the dirt.

"Fuck off, that's cheating!" Husk growled.

"Oh, please. It's not like anyone's gonna know."

The rest of the group didn't protest, knowing how stubborn Loona could be, and said nothing as she took a photograph of her own footprint.

"What's next?" she asked.

"It's the middle of summer," said Husk, "so how the fuck are we supposed to find a leaf that isn't green?"

"Let's focus on the easier things first," you suggested. "There's pebbles all over this path. It shouldn't be too hard to find two that look alike."

Slowly but surely, your collection of photos began to grow. Niffty found two round brown pebbles in the dirt, and your team decided they looked similar enough. Aster saw a cloud in the sky that resembled a pumpkin, and another photo was taken. You spotted a beautiful cabbage white butterfly fluttering over your heads, and Loona was able to snap a picture before it floated out of sight. Husk found a stray leaf on the ground that was half-rotten and grey, insisting it counted as a leaf that wasn't green, and everyone had to admit he was technically correct.

"All we need now is yellow flowers and wild berries!" you announced to your team, ticking another item off the list.

"Look!" Niffty called excitedly. "I think there's daffodils in that field over there! Yellow flowers! Come on, everyone, let's get a photo!"

The five of you dashed through the grassy field, determined to win the scavenger hunt now you were so close to finding all seven things. Niffty was right; as the flowers bobbed into clear view, it was unmistakably daffodils sitting underneath a large oak tree.

"Hey!" an exhausted voice panted. "Wait for- oof!"

There was a soft thud. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned around to see what had made the sound. You were horrified to see Aster face down in the grass.

"Aster!"

"Are you ok?"

You, Niffty and Husk rushed to Aster's side straight away.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Loona snapped. "Leave the crybaby, we've only got one thing left to find!"

"No, Mr Pentious said we have to stick together!" you reminded her, helping Aster to their feet.

"Are you hurt?" asked Husk, steadying the wobbly demon. "It sounded like you took a pretty bad fall."

"Um... I..." Aster stammered, covered in dirt and a little dazed. "I think I'm ok."

"Oh my gosh!" Nifty shrieked, her eye wide. "You're bleeding!"

"Huh?"

Nifty frantically pointed to Aster's right arm. The underside of their blue sleeve was stained a deep red, and it was spreading further by the second. Aster's face turned white, their lip trembling.

"We have to get you back to Mr Pentious," said Husk, his tone serious. "He can give you first aid or something."

"Are you guys coming or what?!" Loona screamed from across the field.

"Aster is hurt!" you yelled back. "We have to go!"

"What?! No fucking way! If you guys leave, I'm finishing the scavenger hunt by myself!"

"Get your ass back here!" Husk demanded, but she had already stormed off in the other direction. "Fucking hell. Should we go after her?"

"Don't bother," you grumbled. "We have more important things to worry about now."

You turned your attention back to Aster. Huge tears were rolling down their cheeks.

"Does it hurt really bad?" asked a worried Niffty.

Aster shook their head. "N-No... I'm just... I ruined the scavenger hunt for everyone..."

"You didn't," you said firmly. "The scavenger hunt is just a game. You're hurt, and that's more important than a game."

Aster squeezed their eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from leaking out. "I... I want my brother..."

"It's ok," Niffty soothed, rubbing their back to calm them. "We'll get you back to Mr Pentious and Alastor, and get your arm all fixed up."

The four of you trailed back to the meeting spot, where Team 1 had already returned. Alastor noticed his sibling's bleeding arm immediately.

"Aster!" he cried, rushing to their side. "What happened?"

"I fell..." they snivelled. "Don't come too close... I don't want to get blood on you."

"I don't care about that. You need first aid right away."

"Is everything alright over here?" Mr Pentious slithered over to see what all the commotion was. "Oh dear, I see we have a casualty. You'd better come along with me."

Aster did as they were told, following Mr Pentious into a nearby tent. Alastor trotted behind, but not before turning his head to offer a grateful smile.

"Thank you, everyone. For looking after Aster."

With that, he disappeared into the first aid tent, leaving you to hope your new friend would be alright.


	3. Day 3

"It's such a lovely day today," Mr Pentious announced at breakfast the next morning, gazing out the window to see the clear blue sky, "so we'll be going to the beach this afternoon. Don't forget your swimsuits if you want to swim in the ocean, and if you need sunscreen, come and see me before we leave."

Niffty squealed. "The beach! I haven't been to the beach for so long! Oh my gosh, I can totally show off my cute pink bikini!"

"I'm sure Alastor will like that," Vaggie chuckled.

The red-haired demon gave an amused roll of his eyes as his sibling giggled.

Thankfully, Aster didn't sustain any major injuries from their fall during the scavenger hunt; it seemed they had simply landed on a sharp rock or similar debris.

Loona eventually trailed back to the meeting spot, where Mr Pentious chewed her out for separating from her team. Your team was disqualified as a result, but Team 1 had won anyway. The prize was, as predicted, candy, and despite Loona dismissing the entire game as 'childish', she continued to glare at Aster for the rest of the day.

As your class stepped onto the school bus one-by-one, you hoped this day would be better. You sat in the back row of five seats with Charlie, Vaggie, Angel and Niffty. Aster and Alastor were seated nearby, directly in front of Charlie and Vaggie. It was about a twenty minute journey to the coast, giving you all time to chat and socialise.

"Hey, Al," said Charlie, poking her head over the back of his seat. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my dear."

"I hope this isn't too intrusive... but if you and Aster are siblings, why have we never seen them at school?"

"That's simple," Alastor responded, placing a hand on his sibling's shoulder. "Aster is homeschooled."

"How come?" asked a nosy Angel Dust.

"That's personal, don't you think?" said Vaggie, shooting a glare at Angel.

"No, it's ok," Aster whispered. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" said Alastor. Aster nodded. "Very well. Aster and I went to the same elementary school," he began to explain, "but they were bullied quite badly, so by the time they reached middle school, they were too afraid to go back."

Aster lowered their head and sniffed like they were trying not to cry.

"Since then," their brother continued, "Aster has been homeschooled by our mother. The next school year, after this summer, is the year they would start high school. Aster has decided they would like to try returning to public school, so our mother pulled a few strings to allow them to accompany me to summer camp. If this week is a positive experience for them, they shall become a student at our school."

"But if not... they'll continue to be homeschooled?" Charlie asked delicately.

"Precisely."

There was a stunned silence as everybody absorbed this information.

"Don't worry," said Aster quickly, "you've all been really nice to me. I hope we can be friends."

"We're already friends, silly!" Niffty declared, and everyone nodded in agreement. A shy but grateful smile crept across the blue-haired demon's face.

When the bus arrived, everybody made a beeline for the small brick building nearby - a changing room - eager to change into their swimsuits and splash in the cool ocean on what was a very warm day.

Niffty's ruffly pink bikini was incredibly cute, and she knew it, dancing around a bit to show off. You couldn't help being a little sad that your lilac bikini was quite plain in comparison.

"No it isn't!" Niffty insisted, bopping you on the nose. "You're cute too!"

Alastor emerged from the changing room wearing a pair of red swimming trunks. Niffty's face turned a similar shade of red, taking in the full sight of her handsome boyfriend.

"Damn, Alastor, you look good," you teased, blushing a little yourself.

He playfully swatted you away. "Save it for Husk."

Husk was wearing black swimming trunks, but was otherwise his usual fluffy self. You buried your head into his shoulder affectionately, enjoying the feeling of his soft fur against your cheek. And the gentle vibration of his purring... it was so cute, you could nuzzle him forever.

You glanced at Aster leaning against the wall. They had taken off their coat, but apart from that, they were wearing their usual clothes.

"You aren't going swimming, Aster?" you asked.

They silently shook their head.

"Alright, is everyone ready for this?" came a proud voice from inside the changing room. "Ta-daaaa!" Angel leapt out the door doing jazz hands, wearing nothing but a pair of tight pink Speedos that left very little to the imagination.

"I did not need to see that today," Husk commented, averting his gaze.

Cherri erupted with laughter. "Holy shit, Angie! Don't let Mr Pentious see you dressed like that!"

"I wouldn't exactly call that 'dressed'," muttered a wide-eyed Charlie, making her way down to the shore hand in hand with Vaggie.

Down on the beach, it seemed like every class group from camp had come to take advantage of the gorgeous weather. Sunbathing people were scattered all over the sand, lounging on towels in every possible color and pattern. A group of friends were laughing and taking turns tossing a beach ball into the air. Most people, however, were splashing in the sea.

"Hey, Aster, do you wanna build a sandcastle?" Niffty asked your new friend.

"Huh?" Aster responded breathlessly. Their face was flushed red in the heat of the summer sun, and they were already panting heavily.

"It really isn't healthy to be overdressed on a hot day like this," you said gently.

"Oh! I have an idea!" Niffty rummaged into her backpack and pulled out a white pleated skirt and lilac t-shirt. "It's always a good plan to bring spare clothes to the beach! You're ok with wearing a skirt, right?"

"Well, yes, but..." they stammered, lowering their head. "I don't want to be called a girl."

"We won't let anyone pick on you," you assured. "We're your friends now, remember?"

They considered this for a second, weighing up the pros and cons of changing into Niffty's clothes, but ultimately decided the blistering heat was too much to bear.

"I'll try it on," Aster huffed, wiping beads of sweat from their brow.

The three of you headed back to the changing rooms at the top of the beach. It seemed like Aster took forever to change clothes, and Niffty even impatiently knocked on the door after ten minutes had passed, but eventually they emerged dressed in their borrowed outfit.

Since Niffty was shorter than Aster, her clothes were quite small on them. The lilac t-shirt now looked more like a crop top, and the pleated skirt barely made it halfway down their thighs.

"Oh my gosh!" Niffty clapped her hands in delight. "You look adorable!"

They blushed slightly, tugging at the skirt. "I don't know... its a little small. I feel so exposed."

"But you're not overheating anymore, right?" you asked.

"Um... no, I guess not."

"Great!" said Niffty. "Let's go swimming! I wanna get another look at Alastor."

"Niffty, you are shameless," you giggled.

You and your best friend raced each other into the ocean as soon as you reached the shoreline again, splashing each other and squealing like kindergarteners.

Aster stood at the edge of the sea, their hooves barely touching the water.

"Come on, Aster!" you called. "It's nice and cool in here!"

They shuffled a few more steps into the water, shuddering when small waves lapped at their ankles.

"Oh, for goodness sake," you said, exasperated. You marched up to Aster and took them by the hand, leading them further into the ocean until it was up to their waist. "See? It's not that bad," you said, playfully splashing them.

Aster suddenly winced and clutched their right arm. Oh shit. The salt water must've seeped into their wound.

"Oh no, I'm sorry!" you cried. "I totally forgot about your injury."

"It's fine," said Aster through gritted teeth.

Niffty waded through the water toward Aster to see if they were alright. It seemed the closer she got, the more they began to tremble and whimper, but strangely, it didn't seem as if they were crying.

"Are you... laughing?" you asked, confused.

Aster's eyes gleamed a bright blue, and with one swift motion sent a wave of sea water cascading over both your heads. You and Niffty shrieked, and the one-eyed demon tumbled into the ocean with a massive splash.

"Gotcha!" they giggled.

"Oh my gosh, you are awful!" Niffty laughed, picking herself up and splashing them back.

"Splash fight!" you declared, kicking water over both the squealing demons.

As the three of you played in the ocean, you suddenly realised this was the first time you had seen Aster smile properly. They really did resemble their brother when they grinned like that.


	4. Day 4

Unfortunately, the next day it rained heavily, so your class had to stay in Cabin B all afternoon. Mr Pentious had arts and crafts activities planned for a rainy day, so everybody sat cross-legged in the lounge, newspaper all over the floor to protect the carpet; a good idea, as the newspaper was already covered in glue and glitter.

"This is so stupid," Cherri complained. "We're not in elementary school anymore."

"Tell me about it," Loona agreed, flicking a plastic craft gem across the room. "You wanna go do something else?"

"Yeah." Cherri stood up from her seat and turned to Angel Dust. "You coming, Angie?"

Angel Dust was hard at work creating a rather phallic-looking model out of fluffy pink pipe cleaners. "Maybe later," he said, not once diverting his attention from his masterpiece.

Cherri shrugged. "If you say so."

The girls wandered off in search of a more interesting pastime, and as long as they didn't go outside, Mr Pentious allowed them to roam freely.

"Angel, what exactly are you making?" asked a curious Alastor.

"I don't think you want to know," Husk grumbled, glueing another foam shape to his collage.

"I'm gonna go get a glass of water from the kitchen," Niffty announced, standing up. "Anybody wanna come with me?"

"I'll come," you said. "I'm starting to get leg cramp sitting on the floor."

Once the two of you were alone in the kitchen, sipping on glasses of water, you struck up a conversation.

"Hey Niffty," you spoke. "Have you noticed that Aster is finally settling in?"

"Yeah!" Your best friend beamed. "I was totally thinking the same thing. They aren't spending the whole day clinging to Alastor anymore."

"Do you think they'll start high school properly after summer?"

Niffty's eye sparkled. "I really hope so!"

There was sudden shout from across the hall. You both froze and exchanged concerned looks.

"Did you hear that?" you whispered.

Another shout. You and Niffty left your glasses of water behind on the table and rushed to see what the commotion was.

As your dashed around the corner, you saw Aster backed up against the door of the boy's bathroom, trembling with fear and breathing so fast they were almost hyperventilating.

"I knew it!" cried Cherri Bomb. "Aster is a boy! He's a boy!"

"What the hell are you doing?" you demanded as you and Niffty dashed onto the scene.

"We just saw Aster about to walk into the boy's toilets," said Loona smugly. "That proves he's a boy!"

"That doesn't prove shit!" Niffty yelled, approaching the shaking blue-haired demon to comfort them. "Aster, are you ok?" she asked gently, placing a hand on their shoulder.

This was all too much for poor Aster, and they finally broke down in heavy sobs, collapsing to the floor on their knees. Niffty kneeled down next to them and rubbed their back to try and sooth them, glaring at Cherri and Loona with her large angry eye the whole time.

"What happened? Is everything ok?"

"It sounded like arguing over here."

Charlie, Angel Dust, and Vaggie came rushing around the corner to see what all the yelling was about.

"Aster!" Charlie cried. "What happened?"

Aster shook their head, too afraid to say anything.

"These girls were picking on Aster," Niffty explained.

"What the hell, Cherri?" Angel snapped. "That's really fucked up."

"Oh, lighten up, Angie!" Cherri said dismissively. "What's wrong with a little fun?"

"Picking on people isn't fun! It's cruel!"

"Excuse me?" Loona butted in, hands on her hips. "How is it cruel? All we did was tell the truth. Aster is a boy."

"No I'm not!" yelled Aster between sobs, surprising everyone. "I only use the boy's bathroom out of habit, because I used to go everywhere with my brother when we were kids."

Cherri pondered this. "So... you're a girl then?"

"Th-That's not what I meant!" Aster insisted, trying their best not to sound like a scared child, but failing badly.

"You don't have to justify anything," said Vaggie to Aster. She glared at Cherri and Loona. "You'd better cut it out!"

Loona laughed. "Or what? I could flatten you with one finger!"

"You wanna put your money where your filthy mouth is?" Vaggie snarled, squaring up to the hellhound in preparation for a fight.

A sudden booming voice was heard from around the corner. "What on earth is going on here?!"

"Oh shit!" Cherri hissed. "It's Pentious. Come on, Loona, let's get out of here."

The two girls quickly scampered away in the other direction, and nobody bothered to stop them.

Mr Pentious demanded to know what had happened. At first he accused Vaggie of being the one to bully Aster, but they spoke up and instead told your teacher they had hurt themself, and everyone else had only been trying to help.

Eventually, Mr Pentious relented and left you all alone. You, Niffty, Angel, Charlie and Vaggie quickly led Aster to their room before Cherri and Loona came back to finish what they started.

"I really don't understand why you didn't tell Mr Pentious the truth," you said to Aster as soon as the door was closed behind you.

"I just don't want my brother to find out what happened," they snivelled, perching on the edge of their bed. "He'll get so angry with Cherri and Loona..."

"And he should!" Vaggie snapped, startling them. "Those girls can't get away with that!"

"It's ok, Aster," Charlie soothed. "We won't say anything if you don't want us to."

"Thank you, Charlie." They turned to Angel, who was sitting on the floor despondently, voice wobbling as they spoke again. "Angel... I'm really sorry..."

Angel sighed. "I'm not mad at you, buddy. I'm just bummed out about Cherri." He ran a hand through his hair trying to comprehend the situation. "I had no idea she could be like that. Just goes to show, you can know someone for years and never know how low they can go."

"Oh, Angel..." Charlie wrapped a sympathetic arm around him. "Maybe she'll apologise and everything will be ok again."

Angel managed a weak smile, grateful for Charlie's kindness, but it was clear he didn't believe a word of it.

You glanced at Aster. They were fidgeting uncomfortably, an anxious expression on their face.

"Aster, are you alright?" you asked.

They hesitated. "I... um... still have to use the bathroom..."

Angel Dust stood up and extended a hand to Aster. "Come on. I'll go with you."

They shook their head frantically, tears appearing in their eyes again. "I... I'm scared."

Angel sniggered. "Well, you don't really have much choice, unless you want to piss yourself."

The spider demon's blunt choice of words caused a bright red blush to spread across Aster's face.

"Knowing you, Angel, you probably have some weird fetish for that," said Vaggie with disgust. She turned to Aster. "I'll go with you. As long as you don't mind using the girl's bathroom?"

"Y-Yeah, that's ok... as long as Cherri or Loona won't be in there."

Vaggie smiled reassuringly, taking Aster by the hand. "Don't worry. If they dare say another word to you, I'll deal with them."

Aster winced at the thought of what Vaggie meant by 'dealing with them', but allowed her to lead them away to the bathroom.

Once the two of them had left, everyone's attention had turned to Angel Dust.

"...Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Because you just got into a fight with your best friend," said Niffty sympathetically. "I know how upsetting it is. I got into a fight with my best friend earlier this year." She glanced at you sadly.

"It's true," you added. "But everything worked out in the end. It'll be ok, Angel."

Angel Dust let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the wall. "I really fucking hope you're right."


End file.
